Abstract [en]

The article explores combinations of subjects in study programmes within the Swedish higher education system. By studying the co-occurrence of subjects we reveal the probability of different combinations within various programs. To a large extent, the structure of the space of subject combinations follows the logic of faculties, with two main dimensions and four distinct poles. In the first dimension a science and technology pole is opposed to a social sciences and humanities pole, whereas the second dimension separates a medicine and science pole from a linguistic and cultural sciences pole. Advocates of Sustainable Development claim that the area is particularly suited for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaborations. However, by examining the position of Sustainable Development programmes we show that programmes within this area follow the same patterns of subject co-occurrence as other programmes in technology and business studies.